EVERYONE in this country was aware of Wayne Rooney's immense talent before he came to these championships.

EVERYONE in this country was aware of Wayne Rooney's immense talent before he came to these championships.

But I don't think any of us anticipated three world-class performances back-to-back!

That just shows how quick ly Wayne is maturing and the confidence his performance against France has given him.

Apart from his goals, his all-round game has been top class. There have been none of the occasional sloppy passes you might expect from a young, inexperienced player - and when you are surrounded by players of the quality of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes, the service you are going to receive is always likely to be highly beneficial.